Quoting

• When should quotations be used?
• Integrating quotations with your writing
• Formatting and changing quotations
• Quoting research participants

A quotation is an exact copy of the words that someone else has written or said. These words are placed within quotation marks (also known as speech marks: “ ”) to indicate that it is a direct quotation and not a summary or paraphrase.

How quotes are formatted is different for different referencing styles and unless indicated otherwise, the quotes on this page are formatted in APA Style (7th edition) referencing.

A quotation can be a full sentence from another source, part of a sentence, or several sentences:

Quotations must always be cited, depending on the referencing system that you are using: see quotations in APA and quotations in MLA for examples. In most referencing styles, quotation citations must always include the page number where the quotation was located.

Quotations should be used rarely, and selectively. While quotations indicate to the marker that you have read the literature and have identified points of interest, quotations can distract from your own writing.

You are far better off to demonstrate to the marker, in the word length available, your understanding of the author's words, rather than relying on the words of others. A quotation does not automatically demonstrate that you fully understand what you are quoting. It only shows that you can find a relevant quotation, and that you can copy and paste.

In contrast, summarising and paraphrasing show that you understand the source (because it is impossible to paraphrase without understanding) and enable you to retain a consistent style of writing throughout your assignment. This is important, for example, in ensuring that an essay flows.

Nevertheless, sometimes quotations will be the best option:

• Does the quotation express an important idea in a way that you could not write more simply in your own words?
• Does the quotation express an important idea in an authoritative way, that you could not write more dramatically or powerfully?
• Is the exact wording necessary for a particular purpose, e.g. definitions, literary analysis, or legislation and legal documents?

As a rule of thumb, one quotation is a fair number for an average 2,000 word assignment. This allows enough space for your understanding to shine through beyond the words of others.

Any quotation needs to be integrated into your text. It should never stand alone.

You need to show that the quotation relates to the assignment topic. This will often involve deciding whether the quotation supports the points you want to make in some way, supports with some qualification, or disagrees with whatever points you are making in your assignment.

Irrespective of the direction, you need to introduce and comment on the quotation by linking it back immediately to the assignment or paragraph topic. The following examples demonstrate how quotations that support a particular point of view can be integrated into an assignment.

In both examples the quotation is made part of a sentence that you have written yourself. This is an effective way of ensuring that it fits your own writing. The most common method of doing this is to use phrases like “according to” or “states that”:

Because it can be repetitive to always use “states that”, the following words can be an effective substitute:

In some circumstances, you may use a quotation to highlight areas of contention or debate.

When you bring in opposing points of view and then contest or refute them, this can make your writing more convincing and stronger to the reader. This is because not only have you provided supportive evidence, but you have also brought in contrary views and then argued against them by bringing in better and stronger evidence. Ultimately, this shows you have read widely, and, more importantly, you have been able to integrate diverging points of view into your assignment.

You may not agree with the quotation, but you can still use it to open up debate:

With only a few exceptions, quotations should be written word for word, exactly as they are written in the original source. This includes punctuation, wording, spelling, and American or British spelling.

The exceptions to this rule depend on the referencing style used, but commonly include the following:

Punctuation. If the in-text citation in brackets follows the quotation, the full stop should come after the closing bracket instead of at the end of the quotation:

First letter. When a quotation is part of a larger sentence (see the examples in Integrating Quotations above) the first letter of the quotation can be changed from upper-case to lower-case or vice versa. APA allows for this kind of change, but MLA retains the original capitalisation.

Quotation marks. If the quotation contains quotation marks (“ ”) inside it, they can be changed to single quotation marks (‘ ’) to avoid confusion.

Mistakes. If there is a spelling or grammar error in the original, do not correct it but insert “[sic]” after the mistake.

Removed words. If you have removed words to make the quotation fit better in the document, indicate the remove with an ellipsis (…). Note: you do not need to include an ellipsis at the beginning or end of a quotation unless not doing so would confuse the meaning of the quotation.

Added words. If you have added words to make the quotation fit better in the document, put them in square brackets [ ].

Formatting. If you have changed the formatting (e.g. putting a section in italics) note the change in square brackets:

If you conduct research and include quotes from your participants, you do not need to include in-text citations or a reference listing. Participants’ quotes should be formatted the same way as other quotations (see above). Make it clear in the text that the quotes are from participants. To ensure confidentiality and maintain participants’ anonymity, pseudonyms can be assigned to participants. For example:

References and further reading

Page authorised by Director - Centre for Learner Success
Last updated on 12 December, 2023